Man screams death threats at judge in O.C. courtroom, authorities say

By City News Service

May 15, 2019 | 10:10 AM

A 27-year-old man made death threats against a judge at the West Justice Center in Westminster, an Orange County sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Duke Kamalani Nakaahiki pleaded not guilty Monday to one count of threatening public officials and one count of threatening to injure an officer in performance of their duties, both felonies. He is scheduled to return to the Westminster court Tuesday.

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Nakaahiki was before a judge about 4 p.m. on May 2 when he “became very agitated and started yelling threatening statements at the judge and other individuals in the room,” said Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The judge suspended the legal proceedings and stepped off the bench before the defendant was taken back into detention, Braun said.

Nakaahiki’s case comes on the heels of charges filed against two other men accused of threatening judges.

Isaac Jones, 53, whose case has been transferred to San Diego County Superior Court, is accused of issuing threats to dozens of Orange County Superior Court judges in January.

Bruce Richard Senator, 64, was charged earlier this month with threatening five Orange County Superior Court judges. Senator, who was declared a vexatious litigant by a federal judge in 2013, was previously convicted of threatening judges.